Legal smoking age increased to 21

Individuals below the age of 21 are not allowed to consume, purchase or possess tobacco products, and violators could be fined not more than RM1,000.

PETALING JAYA, June 19 (Sin Chew Daily) -- The government is not only planning to increase the legal smoking age from 18 to 21, but will also increase tobacco tax and expand no-smoking zones.

Ministry of health disease control division.director Dr Chong Chee Kheong told Sin Chew Daily individuals below the age of 21 are not allowed to consume, purchase or possess tobacco products, and violators could be fined not more than RM1,000.

He also said it had become a global trend for governments to increase the legal smoking age.

The ministry of health will be launching no smoking and quit smoking activities in a bid to create a smoke-free nation.